Not just Rasgulla, Odisha has claims over these 10 other sweets too!

They say, All's Well That Ends Well and indeed, it became true for the long-run battle over ‘Rasagola’ between West Bengal and Odisha. The controversy over the scrumptious dessert resulted in a sweet ending for Odisha when it received the geographical indication (GI) tag for the famous eastern sweet. Odisha rasagola is made of cottage cheese and has a distinct colour and texture of its own. Chena is cooked in sugar syrup to get a soft and juicy consistency. Its unique colour is due to the caramelized sugar and distinct method of cooking that makes for a mouth-watering delicacy.

The history of the famous eastern dessert dates back to the ancient era. It is said and believed that rasagola holds a significant place in the heritage of Odisha and is associated with the world-famous Rath Yatra. It is an age-old tradition where rasagolla is offered to goddess Lakshmi by Lord Jagannath to re-enter the temple with his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Lord Subhadra on the last day of the holy car-festival. This delicious sweet is a part of bhog that is offered to Lord Jagannath since eternity.

Finally, after receiving the GI tag the people of Odisha and the rasagolla lovers are celebrating this long-awaited victory. Although, not only rasagolla, desserts, in general, have always been a quintessential part of Odisha’s rich culture. So, if you ever happen to visit this beautiful eastern state then don’t forget to try their unique sweets.

Now, since we have already discussed so much a

Here’s a list of 10 utterly delicious sweets that you must try during your stay there.

Arisa pitha is a crispy sweet delight which is made using hand grounded rice flour, healthy jaggery and topped with sesame seeds. This traditional pancake is an integral part of every Odia festival.

Kheer Sagar’s literal translation would be an ocean of milk and that’s actually true. These look similar to rasmalai but have different taste and texture. Small chhena balls are soaked in dense sweetened milk which is flavoured with a hint of cardamom and saffron.

Kheera gaja, is yet another sinful delight which is famous in all parts of Odisha. Its key ingredient includes khoya which is deep-fried using ghee and then drenched in sugar syrup. When you first take a bite, you will notice that these are crunchy from outside and flaky from inside. Also, these have a moist texture, you will definitely love.

Chhena jalebi is the Odia version of the famous North Indian sweet. The only difference in both the variants is that Odisha's jalebi is made using cottage cheese and therefore has a soft texture compared to the traditional jalebi.

Chhena jhili as the name suggests is made using chhena that is the Indian cottage cheese. This scrumptious sweet delight originated in a village named Nimapada in the district of Puri. They say that the original recipe is still a family secret and yet has not been cracked by anyone. But according to the working recipe, these are made just like rasagollas but still taste different.

Till now you must have noticed that the food culture of Odisha is dominated by cottage cheese i.e. chenna. And rasabali is no different, these are deep-fried chhenna pancakes, which are soaked inside the creamy rabri with a hint of saffron in it.

Chenna poda or roasted cottage cheese is one of the most famous desserts of Odisha. It is made using simple ingredients such as cottage cheese, jaggery, rice flour, milk, ghee and lots of dry fruits. This mouth-watering dessert is prepared using the traditional baking method that uses sal leaves to enhance its flavour.

Khajaa is a part of Lord Jagannath’s rich heritage and food culture. This sweet delicacy is severed as Sukhila Prasad i.e. dry prasad which is one of the Chapana bhoga served inside the Puri temple. These are deep-fried, crispy, sugar-coated puffs which are often served as an accompaniment to evening tea.

Chenna gajja is yet another famous Odia sweet that is made using cottage cheese, jaggery or sugar. This sweet is prepared using kneaded chhena which is first boiled and then fried until golden. The deep-fried balls of chhena are dipped and nicely coated with sugar syrup before serving.

No list can be completed without the addition of this mouth-watering dessert which is also a part of Chhapana Bhoga of the Puri temple. Malpua is easy to prepare and is a constant part of Odia festivities. Although malpuas are common in every Indian state, Odisha's version has bananas in them and that makes them unique. Malpua here is made using mashed bananas, flour, cardamom, milk, sugar and fennel. The small fritters are deep-fried and then drenched in the sugar syrup. (By: Grishma Satpathy)